Ski goggles with double glass. Basic criteria when choosing ski goggles

Gorge of the Sofia Glacier

Interesting places in Altai and how to get to them.

Altai is huge and different. You can come here every year for the rest of your life and discover something new every time. In this post I share with you my favorite places where you can drive an SUV and walk a little here and there. Altai will be completely on foot next time :)

When to go to Altai (seasons) and some features

You can travel around Altai all year round, But:

• In winter it’s certainly cold here, but it’s fabulously beautiful because everything is covered in snow. Avalanches are possible in the mountains and it is worth walking on them, understanding what avalanche areas are.
• At the beginning of summer it is good, but there is a lot of water on the roads of the gorges and ticks.
• There are many recreation centers in the foothills of Altai (Chemal, Lake Teletskoye, etc.) and it’s nice here all year round.
• The best time for hiking and traveling in Altai: August-September, when you can even drive to the Ukok plateau ( less water) and the least number of ticks.

What else is important to know about traveling in Altai:

• In tourist Altai (Chemal, Teletskoye) there are many tourists, but also many amenities. It is easy to get here by hitchhiking and by public transport.
• The most interesting places Altai is located where buses do not go and hitchhiking is very, very rare (not every day), occasionally you come across houses with local shepherds within 100 km. You can get to such places partially by off-road vehicles, or walk through them.
• The off-road in Altai is magnificent. You can see many beautiful and different places. Let's see which ones exactly.
• (I’ll remember something else important, I’ll be sure to add it :).

Interesting places in Altai for traveling by car, coordinates and photos

Gorge of the Sofia Glacier

In general, from the village of Beltir you can go to different gorges and they are all beautiful. You can get to the Sofia Glacier in autumn. In winter there is a lot of snow, and in early summer there is too much water in the gorge. Coordinates: 49.794444°, 87.772222°

You can read how to use Google coordinates

Martian landscapes outside the village of Beltir

You will pass such landscapes on the way to the Sofia Glacier or Karagemsky and other gorges. This is not the popular Altai Mars that I write about below, but it looks even more real.

Martian Altai, Kyzyl-Chin gorge behind the village of Chagan-Uzun

And this is the “Martian Landscapes of Altai”, where they take you on excursions. You will have to find this place without coordinates, by looking on Google maps where Chagan-Uzun is located. After it there is a small puzzle in the form of branching roads and you are on Mars.

Vershina (repeater) behind the village of Aktash

Google Place coordinates: 50.34001,87.748672 You can climb here by SUV right to the very top, driving from Aktash past the abandoned one. The views from the top are amazing.

Teletskoye Lake at night

You can approach the lake from two sides. For those who are not interested in easy routes - the southern shore of Lake Teletskoye, which can be reached through the Katu-Yaryk pass and the valley of the Chulyshman River. The road is quite tiring, but the views here are more beautiful. There are houses on the shore where you can stay or pitch tents. Coordinates: 51.347994, 87.776104

An easier way to get to Lake Teletskoye is to approach it from the north through the village of Artybash, using public transport.

Chulyshman River Valley and Katu-Yaryk Pass

Descent into the valley straight along the serpentine road, which is in the photo↓. The road is considered unsafe, but to be honest, I never felt in danger going down it. We go and eat for ourselves, admiring the views. Even pussies pass through here, although some have trouble getting up afterwards. Google Coordinates: 50.911640, 88.216379

And here is a video from those places:

Uchitel pass, Aktru gorge

Pass Teacher located in the Aktru gorge. Height is about 3150 meters. Difficulty category 1A. One of the easiest category passes in the gorge, which can be climbed and descended in about 4-5 hours.

Google coordinates: 50.084444, 87.778611

Mountain trails in the Aktru gorge area, trail to the Blue Lake and Aktru glacier

There are many places to go in Aktru Gorge. The routes here are very complex, where you can only go with equipment and in bundles, and simple, where you can “run away” in a few hours. You can ask climbers at the base about routes.

Aktru Base is a place worth visiting in itself. Firstly, because it’s not so easy to get here by car and if you’ve driven through, then that’s already cool, and secondly, it’s wonderful here...

Blue lake near Aktru glacier

Blue Lake is a transit point for climbers ascending to the peak or Aktru glacier. An amazing place that is worth a walk from the Aktru base. This will take about 4-5 hours. Google Coordinates: 50.077716, 87.724579

Peak Dome of Three Lakes

The difficulty of climbing to the top of the Dome is 1B. You can spend the whole day going up and down (about 12 hours). There are two ways to go here. It is recommended to climb with a guide. In winter - with cats. In any case, before climbing, you will have to talk to knowledgeable people at the Aktru base to find out the route and the safety of the climb. The ascent starts from the Aktru camp. The coordinates of the Dome are approximately here:): 50.044800, 87.806500

Glade behind the Karagem Pass

Location coordinates: 49.962720, 87.622576

The place is beautiful, but you can only get here in a prepared SUV and it’s better not alone, because sometimes you have to pull each other out. The road is difficult. There are many fords with large stones, slopes and...lack of a road. But it's definitely worth it. Get there from Beltir. There is a bathhouse in the clearing itself :)

The road from the clearing to the Karagem Pass.

Ukok Plateau

Ukok is a plateau located at the junction of the borders of Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and Russia. The altitude here is 2200-2500 m, winds blow, and in winter the temperature drops to -50. The highest point of Ukok is Mount Kuiten-Uul 4374 (the second highest in Altai).

Ukok is a place of ancient burials; it is here that archaeologists unearthed the princess of Ukok. The place is strange, cold, wonderful. It attracts you again and again... It is more likely to travel here in August-September. In spring and early summer there is a lot of water. You can get to Ukok either through the Teply Klyuch pass (the most likely way) or through the Dzhazator River.

Plateau coordinates: 49.268354, 87.413683

Warm key: 49.408177, 88.035687

*All other places do not fit here, because Altai is vast and there is always everything else that has not yet been explored... There is also Tuva through the Buguzun pass and many many gorgeous places.

Having gone to look after the cat and at the same time the house of my friends in Chemal, I discovered the mysterious Altai. After a week in picturesque Chemal, on the banks of the Katun, I had a desire to see the mountains at the end of this (my first) trip to Altai. As a result of some research, two options emerged - Aktru or Belukha. For reasons of a short route, high mountains, the first option was chosen.

Task 1: get to the village of Kurai from Chemal (hitchhiking)

It's a stone's throw from Kurai to Aktru. The hitchhiking was fast - three cars and by the evening at the destination (at the same time, I didn’t leave Chemal in the morning). Kurai is a small village on the M52 highway (Chuysky tract), leading to the border with Mongolia. The village is surrounded by incredible landscapes, the North Chuysky ridge on one side and the snowy peaks of Aktru on the other. Everything else is steppes and hills. Incredibly beautiful and low sky. I wanted to take my time and spend one day just leisurely enjoying the immediate surroundings. During this day of rest the weather improved a little. I walked to the bank of the Chuya River, which separates Kurai from the road to Aktra.

Task 2: get to the Aktru mountain camp

There is no direct road from Kurai; you need to make a significant detour to cross the Chuya via the only bridge in the area. The path goes through the village of Kyzyl-Tash. And after the bridge across the steppes and hills, through one shallow ford. To Perevalka and along the mountain trails to the alpine camp. And if directly it is 20 km, then taking into account the detour to the bridge, about 10 more km are added. In principle, it is normal for a day trip.

I decided to travel on foot and hitchhike for reasons of interesting travel, and the savings are not bad. By the way,

Budget for accommodation while traveling in Altai:

A room or bed in an ail (traditional Altai dwelling) will cost 400-500 rubles/person; also on the territory of bases and guest houses you can stand with your own tent (100 rubles/person), having access to amenities. Bathhouse 200 rub/person.

Fire pit, firewood, drinking water- for free.

In principle, you can stand as a savage in any surroundings. But the undoubted advantage of being on the territory of guest houses is people and information. Over the course of several days of overnight stays on the territory of the guest house “Kuraiskie Dawns” (by the way, I recommend it, you can find it on Google maps) a couple of guides, the owner of the guest house Andrey, as well as one desperate Korean (I recommend his Instagram: instagram.com/0_0hans_/) , who set off on a moped for a year-long journey to Europe, through Russia and Central Asia, and back.

How to get to the mountains from Kurai

In Kurai you can order a “drop-off” - a transfer to Perevalka (1000-1500 rubles/person) or the Aktru alpine camp (we multiply the price by two). Transfer is carried out by UAZ or GAZ (book your seat the day before), if you can still get to Perevalka by your own transport, to the mountain camp only by good SUV and with good off-road driving skills. I walked.

It was drizzling in Kyzyl-Tash, I hid in a bus stop and accidentally stopped the locals. UAZ, there are three local guys in it, strong, in camouflage. One with his hand wrapped in a bloody bandage. You can try, of course, but why? The guys were going to the fields to mow, the “bloody” got injured while sharpening an automatic mower. 20 minutes of extreme driving in the steppe and halfway there. Next is a small ford, a couple of streams. It is better to take off your shoes and go barefoot. For those who will be driving a car, especially one that is not particularly passable, from the ford where the main road ends, you need to go south, there will be a convenient and easy ford of half a wheel. After which you can return to the main road to Perevalka.

The rain started to drizzle again, I walked across the steppe. I park another UAZ with locals who drop me off before the turn to Perevalka. Then walk up the hill for about one and a half kilometers.

Transshipment is a small camp site with houses and transfer to the mountain camp. A house with a stove for several people costs 1000 rubles. A clearing for tents, a fire pit, a bathhouse upon request, beautiful view from the hill to the west of the base. Then the road follows the river, quite flat after a short climb. Approximately 10 km, 2-2.5 hours on foot through picturesque places. Currants, honeysuckle and lingonberries grow in the forest.

Alpine camp and camp site Aktru

are located in the valley of the Aktru River at the foot of Mount Karatash. This is where climbers go to climb and train. Available to tourists without equipment - First Teacher and Blue Lake. They say you can also climb Mount Dome without equipment. And if you wish, everything you need can be found in the camp.

Accommodation at the Aktru tourist center (prices)

Considering that it was already cool in my light single-layer tent in Kurai, it was decided not to take it further and to spend the night in a camp in the mountains. A room at the Aktru camp site (it’s a little further from the camp) costs from 1000 rubles/person. The base is new. All the rooms were full, the staff said you need to book in advance.

In the mountaineering camp, a room in a house starts from 750 rubles/person. There is a budget option (300 rubles/person) - on a cot in the laundry room, which is a small room with a stove in the center. It's tolerably cool, considering that the stove can be heated. With a good tent and a warm sleeping bag (not my case), you can stay in the vicinity of the camp for free. The camp also has a dining room, cafe, bathhouse and hot shower; food and baths must also be booked in advance. In general, the mountain camp gives the impression of a pleasant and lived-in place. Here you can ask workers and climber-instructors about the surrounding area and in general.

The next day I went to Blue Lake

I felt spoiled by Nepalese trekking. There are no stone steps, no signs, loose rocks and slopes of the trail at 45 degrees, with traces of rockfalls everywhere. Apparently it’s not easy to negotiate these trails in the rain. The road to the lake takes about 3 hours. Quite flat, only 2 noticeable rises. The trail is most picturesque.

First, there is a stunning view of Mount Karatash (I just fell in love with it), and then you go out to the glacier and see the peaks of Aktru. The lake itself is of average picturesqueness. Small, beautiful, blue. Someone swims here (water +2C), you can stand on the shore with a tent. Climbers stop here for the night before climbing Aktra.

The descent to the camp and the return journey to Kurai the next day was very easy. Alpine camp - Kurai walked almost the entire way (to the bridge over the Chuya). I was also lucky with the return hitchhiking; I hitchhiked from Aktash to Ust-Sema (that is, 90% of the way).

In general, according to general information All. If you missed anything, ask in the comments. The most wonderful impressions, considering that I have repeatedly been to the mountainous regions of the Himalayas. I was struck by the purity and wildness of nature, despite, in general, a short distance from roads. The rest is in the photographs. Definitely Aktru - I recommend it for a visit!

My schedule:
1 day – Chemal-Kurai road
Day 2 - rest in Kuray
Day 3 – Kurai-Perevalka
Day 4 – Transshipment-alpine camp
Day 5 – hike to Blue Lake
Day 6 – Alpine camp-Kurai
Day 7 – Kurai-Red Mountains-Kurai
Day 8 – Kurai-Chemal

Heights: Kurai 1500 m, Transshipment 1770 m, Alpine Camp 2100 m, Blue Lake 2840 m.

At the end of May - beginning of June, on the eve of opening tourist season, the Vipgeo team made a week-long voyage to Mountain Altai. We will share our observations with you to make it easier for you when you go on vacation.

Roads

If you are planning to travel to Gorny Altai on your own by car, then the road situation awaits you as follows:

1) from Novosibirsk the road will be good, it is essentially the same highway M-52, which includes the Chuysky tract; the same applies to those who travel to Gorny Altai on their own from regions of Russia west of Novosibirsk;

2) from Barnaul essentially the same situation as from Novosibirsk;

3) from Kemerovo knowledgeable drivers They advise you to turn off at Belovo, get to M-52 and then through Barnaul to Biysk.

From Novokuznetsk You can get to the Altai Mountains in two ways: to Lake Teletskoye through Tashtagol or to Biysk through Eltsovka, and then to the Chuysky tract. Both roads at the beginning of June 2016 leave much to be desired, and the road through Tashtagol is in complete trouble.

If you drive through Tashtagol to Lake Teletskoye, then for 80 km you will see a gravel road and, according to the driver, it is subjectively worse than the road through Yeltsovka. We were returning along this road and caught a nail in the wheel on it - our most serious breakdown of the entire trip.

If you go from Novokuznetsk through Eltsovka to Biysk, then to Altai Territory the asphalt will be stable

Before Biysk the situation gets better, and it’s absolutely good, and in some places even excellent, it will become when you get to Chuysky tract. First, four lanes of good asphalt await you, then two, but also of very good quality. It is felt that the authorities of the republic take care of their roads like no one else in the neighboring regions; the road does not in the least prevent you from admiring the surrounding landscapes

Climbing to Seminsky Pass

Chuysky tract near Bely Bom

Chuisky tract in the Chui steppe. Road to Kosh-Agach

If you are going to Aya or Chemal, then two branches from the Chuysky tract await you - Aisky and Chemalsky tracts. The road there is also quite good.

Aisky tract

Chemalsky tract

The road will be of noticeably worse quality if you decide to visit the famous pass Katu-Yaryk, turning off the Chuisky tract in Aktash. There is asphalt not all along the route.

Beyond Ulagan and when ascending the pass, a harsh dirt road without guardrails will await you. It is not recommended to travel at night or in bad weather.

Descending from Katu-Yaryk to the Chulyshman valley is recommended only for experienced drivers and in vehicles suitable for this purpose. An ordinary car may go down without incident, but it will be very difficult for it to get back up.

There is also a road from Gorno-Altaisk to Lake Teletskoye. Worse than the Chuya tract, but quite bearable.

Important:

On all roads of the Altai Mountains, be very careful about livestock, here they calmly and without fear walk along the highway like a master, even in densely populated and noisy places;

Despite good quality asphalt and metal fences, not very experienced drivers should be careful on the passes of the Chuisky tract, especially on Chike-Taman;
Climbing Chike-Taman

The driver also advises here to pay closer attention to the temperature of the brakes, especially on a descent.

It should be remembered that when different weather and the roads will be very different even in the same place, and the weather here sometimes changes very quickly - it can rain suddenly, and sometimes you will have to drive through fog (our driver had such experience);

Another nuance is the travel time; at the end of May and beginning of June the roads are almost empty; during the season the situation will probably be different;

If you have a right-hand drive, be very careful when overtaking, especially on passes, it is very easy to miss an oncoming car;

Remember that climbing passes, as well as driving in high mountains, entail changes in pressure, which can affect the driver and passengers (hearing impairment, drowsiness, etc.).

Petrol

First of all, if you are traveling to the Altai Mountains, we recommend refueling in the Altai Territory, where the price is more comfortable. For example, near Biysk or in the city itself.

In the Altai Mountains there are gas stations in almost every large village, although there are not many such villages. Therefore, we advise you to top up your tank to full in Mayma after entering the region, especially if you haven’t refueled for a long time before.

Before the Seminsky Pass there are more gas stations, then fewer, but to be left without gasoline, you need to be completely careless. We refueled mainly at Nika; gas stations of this network dominate in Gorny Altai. We refueled once at Lukoil.

Important:

Sometimes you can come across very strange situations: suspiciously cheap gasoline or a decent difference in price at neighboring gas stations (for example, in Shebalin, the difference in price for 92 gasoline at different ends of the village differed by as much as 3 rubles!);

It's quite common to come across empty gas stations, so it's best not to push your car to extremes.

Gasoline prices fluctuate depending on the location of the gas station, but not much. The same Nika in Aktash 92 costs 35 rubles. per liter, literally 10 minutes from Aktash, it’s already 34.90, and on the Chemalsky tract or near the village of Inya on Chuisky it’s 34.50.

Gas station in Aktash

Gas station in front of Aktash

Gas station on the Chemalsky tract

Gas station near the village of Inya

traffic police

Perhaps we were lucky, but during the entire week of our trip we saw a traffic police car only a couple of times - in Aktash and Gorno-Altaisk. Maybe there will be more of them during the season, but we hardly saw them.

ONE HUNDRED

There is a service station in almost every large village. Thank God, we didn’t have the chance to resort to their help in the Altai Mountains, but according to the driver, they work well and don’t raise the price tag. Their operating hours, however, most often are not 24 hours a day, up to a maximum of 6-8 pm.